The tide appears to be turning for Egypt’s tourism industry after political events associated with last year’s ‘Arab Spring’ caused a drop of approximately one third of tourist arrivals and revenues (source: Washington Post). According to the Egyptian Tourist Authority, as quoted in Business Intelligence Middle East, inbound tourism has increased by 32 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to 2011.

A Washington Postarticle cited the Egyptian Tourism Minister, Mounir Abdel-Nour, projecting that Egypt will attract 14.5 million travelers this year, a number very close to their 2010 (pre-political uprising) 14.7 million tourist level.

“We are confident that the future will be much better than the past,” Abdel-Nour said. “It is not difficult to explain this in an environment where democracy prevails, and where there’s more transparency, less corruption.”

… Abdel-Nour said the tourism industry is “doing everything in the book” to woo visitors again. For example, it is trying to attract more charter airlines and discount carriers, and rolling out new offerings like longer Nile cruises, he said.